Moss
by Twilit Lady of Majesty
Summary: After being held captive in Gannondorf's castle for who-knows-how-long, Link gets a chance to finally escape and save Zelda. Without knowing it, he's set himself out on one of his longest adventures yet. Rating may change. Takes place in the world of OoT
1. The Etchings

The sky darkens as I approach the castle, and I shudder. Zelda is there, waiting for me, but I haven't heard her calls of terror in weeks.

Lightning strikes in the distance, illuminating the sky. I flinch at the startling sound of thunder, and continue on my way.

I reach for her hand, mere centimeters keeping our fingers apart. I let out a grunt of aggravation, and give up. I sit back against the mossy cell wall, allowing the small trickles of water dampen my shirt. The air smells of mold and decomposition.

"Link," Zelda says, glaring at him through the bars," why did you give up?" Her eyes sparkle in the dim light of torches, tears welling up beneath them.

"I- I don't know Zelda," I say, my voice hoarse from previous yelling.

"Link, you put up a fight on the way here, and now you won't even try to hold hands with me?" Zelda snaps, her voice sharp with tension. I sit in silence, examining her face. I stand and look at her.

"Zelda, I have my reasons, and those reasons are for me to know, and for you to never find out. So until you stop yelling at me, you don't get to know those reasons," I say, raising my voice. She blinks up at me.

"If that's how you want it to be Link, that's how it's going to stay," she says, a tone of finality in her voice. I turn my back to look at the wall.

Several figures are etched into the well-worn stone, along with dozens of tally marks populating the surface. Water trickles through the crevices of the etchings.

The truth is, I don't have a reason for giving up. I just didn't want to. It was useless. No matter what I do, it isn't good enough for _Princess_ Zelda.

I blink the small drops of water away from my eyes, and turn around.

"Zelda," I say, sitting by the bars. A metallic smell lingers in the air around them," I'm sorry, I truly had no reason for giving up." My reply is silence. My eyes have been focused on the ground the entire time.

I flick my eyes upwards to look at her. Nothing. Nothing is there. I feel fear wrench it's way into my gut.

Oh goddess, where could she be?!

I jump up, my mind beginning to fly.

"Zelda?" I ask, my voice hardly filling the room,"Zelda?!" The sound echoes until I'm replied with a faint yelp.

"Link!" She yells, her voice distant and hoarse. I let out a partially forced sob. Even though I'm terrified for her, I feel no sympathy.

"Link! Where are you?!" She yells, her voice left unanswered. I collapse to the floor, allowing the water to soak through my clothes and ruin my tunic.

**A/N**

**Sorry for the short chapter, the next chapter will be longer- I PROMISE :D**


	2. Strawberries

Minutes smear into hours which fade into days of nothing. My mind has slowly numbed itself from reality. I can't seem to differentiate from real and what my mind has concocted.

I hear, or I think I hear, Zelda's occasional screams, pleas, and escape attempts, but nothing can be done to help.

My nails have been chewed to the point of blood, but the pain has melted into numb. Everything is numb.

I don't know how long I've been in here. I've lost track of the thrice daily meals delivered to me. The small plate usual consists of a slice of stale bread, a cup of water, and a strawberry. I love strawberries, so I've chosen to keep them stashed behind a loose stone in the wall, just incase I'm hungry later.

The green of my tunic has slowly begun to morph into an ugly brown. The clothes that I wear I wear are permanently damp.

"Zelda," I whisper, my voice shaky and cold. I have no reply, and sigh.

The usual footsteps of a pudgy young woman echo in the hall. She carries my food everyday, smiling in attempts to cheer me. Or maybe Gannon has poisoned my strawberries, and she's laughing at the suffering I'm supposed to be going through. Who knows?

As she approaches my cell, I see her place something on the plate. She leans in close, her face grim.

"Link, escape for me, please," She asks, handing me the plate. I stare at her in confusion.

"I have no time, but you need to go. Gannon has plans, and they involve those most precious to you," She says, her eyes shining. Her light brown hair is pulled back in a sloppy bun, a few strands fall next to her face. Her lips are small but full. She reminds me of a girl I once saw in the town. She ran some sort of game, but I can't remember what. My brain has been numbed to the past.

I nod, and grab the plate in a haze of confusion.

"Good Luck!" she says, rushing off. She stumbles over herself the first few steps.

I look down at the round piece of porcelain. My usual meal is neatly arranged, but a key lays in the center of the plate. Before anything, I decide to eat, as I'm starving.

I quickly shove the bread into my mouth, and gulp down the water. I toss the strawberry to the back of the room, and wait until I hear a successful, light thump.

I take the key in my hands. The metal is icy cold, causing the palms of my hands to feel like they're burning. I don't know what to do with this key, or why she had it, but it shall be useful with me.

I scoot over to the cell bars, not caring if the hem of my tunic gets torn. I stare at them for a moment, my eyes examining the light grey metal. My eyes drift up the bars until they reach the lock. It's placed by the walls, but in the center of a bar.

I pull myself to my feet, grunting in exertion. I haven't stood in several days.

I use the bar for support as I make my way to the lock. It's a darker grey than the bars. Maybe someone broke it and it had to be replaced...

I slip my hand through the bar, and start feeling for the key hole. I successfully find it, and insert the key.

It takes me several minutes of turning and testing to finally open the door.

As I turn the door to escape, I hear Zelda scream for help. I throw the door open, and take off at full speed.

A/N

Haha sorry guys, the end of the chapter got rushed... I'm kind of dissatisfied with this story so far, I'm hoping that it'll get better when we get to the good part...

I hope you love the story, thanks for reading, and have a great day! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Thoughts fly through my mind as my feet pull me down the hallway. Maybe I'll finally reach her. Save Zelda. My thanks cannot be expressed enough to the woman that delivers my daily food. Without her, I'd probably still be sitting in that tiny jail cell bawling my eyes out into my rotting tunic.

Another one of Zelda's screams sound from the end of the hall, and I feel my feet speed up. I've lost all control of how fast I'm running. My only goal is to save her.

"Link!" She shouts, sobs mingling with her voice. Anger towards Gannondorf boils up inside of me, forcing an aggravated growl out of my mouth. I almost slide into the wall as I make a sharp turn to the left, the direction from which Zelda's screams must be located.

I sprint at full speed, only catching a glimpse inside every room I pass.

"Link!" She yells again, her voice rapidly increasing in volume. Her sobs are audible from here. My pace slows, but just a little as I reach the end of the hall. There aren't any ways for me to turn. I skid to a halt, placing my hand on the wall to prevent myself from smashing into it.

"Hah, you thought finding her would be this easy?" Gannon's voice mocks. I look around me, examining the walls next to and behind me.

"Maybe..." I mutter to myself, looking at the ground. I heave a heavy sigh, and straighten my posture,"What have you done with Zelda?" I shout, hoping that he'll hear me.

"Nothing of great importance at the moment," he says, laughter bubbling in his voice.

"Where is she?!" I yell, tears beginning to roll down my face.

"Why do you need to know?" He asks, laughing. I glare at the ceiling.

"Just tell me already!" I shout, ready to give up. He won't be telling me any time soon.

"Nope," He replies curtly. I take a step forward, and before I know it, I'm flying through the window behind me, pieces of broken glass cutting me in the air. My consciousness will probably only, last, a bit, longer...

_A/N_

_Short chapter was short, I have plenty of inspiration for the next one though-_

_-Twilit Lady of Majesty_


	4. Chapter 4

The feeling of cool rain shakes me awake. I sit up, and glance around. Where am I. My head hurts with an intense pain, like someone, or _something_, had knocked me out.

"So you're finally awake," a voice says. I glare into the bushes in front of me.

"Where are you?" I ask, hesitating before turning my head.

"Why, I'm here of course!" It announces, a whimsical flourish added to the end. I quickly swivel my head backwards in attempt to find the unknown speaker.

A short laugh comes from above me. I look up to see Skull Kid peering down at me, his yellow-red eyes slicing through the darkness of the night. He climbs down, keeping his eyes focused upon me the entire time.

"Where am I?" I ask, ready to jump into action.

"I can't tell you that," He says, laughing,"you already know where you are!" I glance around again, this time checking my surroundings. I'm in the midst of a forest, the only visible opening to the sky is the one from which I entered. Bushes and various plants litter the ground with broken branches and dead leaves.

I turn back to Skull Kid, and glare at him,"_where_, am _I_?"

"Eehehe!" He laughs, and backflips into the bushes. I attempt to stand and chase him, but I know it's too late to find him in this forest. I collapse back to the ground, and heave a heavy sigh.

"Don't be sad, _sky man_," He says. I glare forward in the direction he left.

"Stop joking around! I really want to know where I am!" I shout, on the verge of tears.

"Hmm, I don't you if I can tell you..." A mischievous, edge on Skull Kid's singsong voice.

"At least tell me why you called me 'sky man'," I offer, rolling my eyes.

"You don't remember? Because I remember. You fell from the sky," He explains,"hehehe you just sat there groaning for a bit. I thought you died when you stopped, but apparently you didn't." The rain the previously woke me, has thinned out to a fine mist.

"Okay, how do I get out of here?" I ask, glancing at the treetops. Clouds cover the starts and moon.

"Well I don't know, but if you play a song with me, we can be friends," He suggests, jumping down from the treetops behind m. His footsteps are light as he takes a spot in front of me. Skull Kid produces a flute from who-knows-where, and smiles. I nod in agreement, forcing a smile.

"I'll play the song, and you repeat it back to me, then we play it together," He explains, a smile shining on his face. I nod in agreement, retrieving my ocarina from my bag.

The imp begins to play, the notes echoing throughout the silent forest. The eerie melody bringing goosebumps to my arms. As the final note sounds, I smile. Skull Kid removes the instrument for his mouth and smiles.

"Did you like it?" He asks, his eyes full of mystery. I nod with enthusiasm. "Now it's your turn to play it!"

I hesitate before bringing the ocarina to my mouth. I take a deep breath in and begin to repeat the notes played by Skull Kid. I hold the last note until I run out of breath.

"Time to play together!" He announces, bringing the flute back up to his mouth. After we sit in silence for a few moments, we begin the song, our beautiful, yet menacing, harmonies sending chills down my back. I release the last note with a breath of air in, and remove the ocarina from my mouth. I exhale with a smile.

"Hehehehe! You're my new best friend!" He announces, jumping up. His red and yellow eyes brighten with his smile. "Let's go visit Saria together!"

Saria. I haven't heard her name since returned from Termina.

The imp bounds off, stopping to wave me over. I blink at him, unsure whether I should actually follow or not. He waves again, a bit more forcefully this time, and I pull myself off the ground with the help from a nearby tree. My walking is unsteady for a moment, but I quickly gain my balance and chase after Skull Kid deeper into the forest.

_A/N_

_Bam. Skull Kid. I had difficulties keeping his childlike personality consistent throughout the chapter, creepy characters are fun to write, I get to add just a touch of mystery along with a bit of unnerving happiness. *sighs in happiness* thanks for reading guys! Have a nice day!_

_-Twilit Lady of Majesty_


	5. Chapter 5

After following the imp for a bit, I lose sight of him. I run in his general direction for a moment before giving up.

Great, now I'm lost in the middle of a forest. I kick some dead leaves off the ground, and watch them float back to their home. My eyes shift to the foggy trees ahead of me, and I sigh.

"Sky Man, come on!" He shouts from above me. I look up, and then follow him with my eyes as he jumps down and approaches me. When he reaches the point of being too close, I back up.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry," I apologize, my back pressing against a tree.

"We're almost to Saria, and you get lost?! Follow me," He says, slightly confusing me by his abrupt speech. He bounds off into his original direction, looking back more often than not, to make sure I was still following.

The trees begin to thin out, and an old, dilapidated stone building comes into view. Skull Kid has slowed to a walk, allowing me to keep up.

"_See_? That's where Saria sits!" He points, looking over his shoulder at me excitedly. I give him an exaggerated nod. "Saria?" He asks, stepping into the clearing before the building. No reply. I follow in after him.

The stone building was obviously once a magnificent structure, tall ceilings and intricate details, but now it's been reduced to a thin frame of eroded stone and vine-covered walls. It is indeed sill beautiful, but in a different sense.

"Saria?" Skull Kid asks, approaching a stump beneath the stone balcony above. He rubs the top of the stump gently, and then claws his nails into it. "She hasn't been here," He growls, anger flaring up in his eyes. I take a cautious step back.

"Maybe she went on an adventure?" I suggest, smiling nervously. I was right, Saria hasn't been here since I returned from Termina.

"She can't! She's the forest sage!" He shouts angrily, his eyes shift to the balcony above,"See that balcony? That's the entrance to her temple." I nod, also looking at the balcony.

"Well," I hesitate before finishing my sentence,"maybe she went back to Kokiri."

"Maybe..."

"If we were to go there, we could visit Saria!" I suggest, nodding enthusiastically. Skull Kid looks into the distance, deep in thought.

"Let's go!" He agrees, jumping to the stairs behind me. "But let me warn you, Sky Man, dangerous monsters have taken over the forest," He warns. I instantly feel a foreboding sense of regret for suggesting we go. I couldn't put another person in danger, even if I can defeat the enemies that he speaks of.

"Well, that shouldn't be too bad," I reply, smiling large. He nods, and hops off down the stairs.

At the bottom of the excessively long set of steps, there is a large man covered only by a piece of fabric over himself. He's extremely muscular and carries a large hammer. Skull Kid does not seem intimidated by him, and skips straight down the middle of the narrow path. I shrug off the thought of fighting him and begin to approach. The first few steps were easy, but as soon as I reach closer, the man slams the hammer into the ground. A shockwave of sorts lifts the dirt and grass in a path towards me. Frozen in surprise, I fall back when it collides with me.

"Hurry up, Sky Man!" Skull kid shouts from behind the muscular monstrosity before me. I stand, shaking my head, and dusting myself off.

"Okay okay," I yell back. My steps are slow as I approach, and once I hear the sound of the hammer hitting the ground, I jump to the opposite side of the path.

This process continues until I successfully get behind the man.

"Finally," Skull Kid says, rolling his eyes,"you took forever." I glare at him. The imp shrugs and cautiously approaches a ladder. He hesitates, peering around both corners leading into a maze of hedges and pools of water, and then leaps to the ladder, quickly scampering up and on top of the shrubbery. He waves me over, fear and panic all over his face. I nod, and follow his actions. Just before I jump to the ladder, a man, almost exactly like the one trying to knock me over with his hammer, charges at me with a spear. I dodge it, jumping backwards, ignoring Skull Kids nervous rambling.

"It's okay Skull Kid, I'm find," I console him, smiling nervously. He nods, despite the fact that he sill looks unsure of me.

Once again, I copy his actions, not even hesitating before the jump to the ladder. I climb up, not worried about the man catching me.

Skull Kid's relieved smile greets me when I reach the top.

"Okay, this is the easy part," the imp starts, walking forward a few steps,"all we do is jump from each hedge to each hedge and then jump into that courtyard over there." I nod, an uneasy sense of fear working it's way into me. I couldn't stand to see someone as much of a child as Skull kid is fall into the grasp of those monsters.

_A/N_

_Yup, such an abrupt ending for a chapter. I still need to think out he rest cause like, I know what I'm going to do, but OBVIOUSLY, when I begin to make stuff up off the top of my head, the story's level of execution drops by like, a billion percent. Meh, the next chapter will be better, __**I promise**__..._

_-Twilit Lady of Majesty_


	6. Chapter 6

The imp gracefully bounds over the maze of rock and hedges, not once losing his footing. He glances back, mid jump, and waves an arm for me to follow.

I stare at him, and approach the first ledge. Nothing but a large, seething monster carrying a spear, is below me. This shouldn't be too hard.

I leap, my left foot touching the other side as soon as my right foot left the ground. A roll lightens my collision, and I smile, a feeling of triumph flowing through me. I look up to find Skull Kid, and he has already managed to reach the other side. His small figure is only a dot, waiting at the other end of this test.

I shuffle to the next ledge, and wait for the guard to pass beneath me. He lumbers along, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground in a steady rhythm. I continue to watch him, the pattern of rumbles becoming hypnotic. He passes beneath me yet again, and a grunt flies from him. I stumble back, and feel myself falling.

My hands grope at nothing as I trip off of the ledge behind me. My feet manage to keep themselves on the grassy support for only a moment more, before I'm dropped into nothing.

Everything is dark. Sounds are distant, but they are not the typical forest sounds. They're... lighter. Frillier, would be a better way to describe them. Slowly, lights form in front of me, and running water enters the soundscape.

Where am I? I roll over onto my back, and breathe out heavily. My ribs feel okay, same with my arms and legs. I would have expected myself to taken a nastier hit, considering how long I fell.

I force myself into a criss-cross sitting position, and begin to look around.

It's beautiful. With their pristine white columns, and translucent blue waters, the fountain is stunningly amazing. Small orbs of light drift about, mingling with each other, chiming up when they collide, but quickly moving on their way. Their small twinkles of sound comfort me, and a smile grows on my face.

I use the wall for support as I peel myself up from the ground. The stone is cold, but the warmth radiating from the fountain, thankfully, combats it. I shift in my spot for a moment, checking my boots and dusting off my tunic.

The fairies' tempt me, their soft colors soothing my nerves. They bounce through the air, showing me that they're happy and somewhat free. I stumble forward, feet slamming not so delicately on the sand beneath. I straighten myself out, and stride silently over to the water.

I raise a hand to one of the creatures, and it lands on the tip of my finger. It hesitates for a moment, and proceeds to fly in a graceful spiral around me. All of my fear has drained away, and I suddenly feel like I could take on the majority of those monsters at once.

I run my foot over the porcelain floor, my boot leaving nothing but a wake in the water, behind. Without meaning to, I extend my hand again, allowing one of the fairies to land on it. It's light wing flaps blow gusts of air onto the palm of my hand. It must be peaceful to live down here, untouched by the pain and suffering brought on by the real world.

The fairy spins circles around me, and I feel the same as before. Noting that my mood did not change after the second fairy healed me, I make my way back to the exit. I step onto the metal platform, and look up at my exit, the column of light carrying me beck to the surface.

_A/N_

_Aaaaaaaaaand yeah. Short, shitty chapter, I know. Excuse my language back there, I've gotten a taste for bad words, as of late (hah, as if I hadn't already). Well you guys, I hope you liked the update to this story. It was a bit of a time waster for me to think up how to continue the main plot. But anyways, thanks for reading you guys, and have a great day!_

_-Twilit Lady of Majesty_


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